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Every New Year, I tell myself I won’t make it a big deal. But when I sat down to film this 'unfiltered yapping' vlog at the start of 2026, I could feel it in my chest: this year is different. The one where I actually started dreaming of what's real, which makes me scared, but also excited. No more vague goals and visions.It's scary, not because it's not going how it's supposed to be, but because the things I’m dreaming of feel too big for me.
I kept thinking, who do I even ask for help? I don’t have that one person I can point to and say, “Oh, they’ve built this exact kind of fashion brand rooted in Filipino stories. I’ll just follow their steps.” There is no exact blueprint for what I’m trying to build with Kilig Ko.
So thIs vlog (and blog) is my little accountability device. A snapshot of where my heart is at the beginning of 2026. Something I can look back on and say, “Wow, you really did everything you said you would”… or, honestly, maybe I didn’t. But at least I’ll know I showed up and tried.
Two Years In And Still Just Getting Started
Kilig Ko officially became an LLC in February 2024. That means this year, 2026, we’re turning two.
Saying that out loud feels wild. It all happened so fast. The late nights, the packing orders on the floor, the shoots with friends, the designs that felt too tender to share and then somehow landed in the hands of strangers who said, “Hey, this made me feel seen.”
Two years in, it’s starting to feel less like a cute side project and more like a real business, one that deserves structure, care, and intention.
But underneath all of that, Kilig Ko has always been about something softer: healing. When I design, when I write, when I share, I’m also talking to the younger version of me who didn’t always have the words or the clothes or the community to say, “Your Filipino-ness is not something to hide. You need to hold it."
When I do this for me -as part of healing myself- it somehow reaches other people too. That still blows my mind. And now, as we cross this two-year milestone, I feel a stronger pull to protect and preserve the stories behind it: the memories of immigrant parents, the everyday softness of those who came before me, the quiet sacrifices that built our lives here.
My Word For 2026: BUILD
I chose one word to hold this whole year: BUILD.
All my life, I think I’ve been quietly waiting for the “right time.” The right amount of money. The right level of confidence. The right mentor to appear and hand me a step-by-step guide.But the older I get, the more I see the truth: there is never a perfect time for anything. If I keep waiting for the moment I finally feel ready, I might wait forever.
So this year, BUILD means:
- Building systems so I don’t burn myself out
- Building a real, sustainable fashion business
- Building planned launches instead of last-minute scrambles
- Building routines that protect both my creativity and my mental health
And maybe most importantly, BUILD means accepting that discomfort is part of the deal.
Discomfort is the price you pay for change and growth... I’m terrified of what I’m asking of myself this year. But that terror is also a tiny confirmation that I care. That I’m stepping into something bigger than what I’ve done before.
Learning The Business, Without Losing The Heart
One of my biggest intentions for 2026 is to truly learn how to run a small fashion business well.
Not just “I have cute designs and a Shopify store,” but actually understanding:
- How to plan collections for the whole year
- How to launch in a way that feels thoughtful and not chaotic
- How to keep things sustainable so I can keep doing this long-term
- How to put repeatable systems in place so everything doesn’t live in my brain
There’s a very real fear underneath all of that: What if I can’t keep up? What if I burn out? What if I disappoint the people who believe in this?
But alongside that fear is a softer promise I made to myself...
That if I can build this slowly and intentionally, if I can create a rhythm that protects my energy, then Kilig Ko can be something that lasts. A home for stories. A space where Filipinos and children of immigrants can see their feelings reflected back to them.
Seeing Our Families In The Photos
On the creative side, 2026 is the year I want to really level up how Kilig Ko looks and feels. I’ve been dreaming about photoshoots where the models are the people we grew up around, Lolas with their soft hands and strong opinions, titas who show up to everything with food, titos who crack the same corny jokes every year. I want the visuals to feel like home. Like family gatherings and living room during karaoke nights.
I want each collection to feel more curated and intentional, with visuals that match the heart behind every piece. Not just “here’s a cute shirt,” but “here’s a memory you didn’t know you were missing until you saw it.” And through all of it, I want to connect more of the Kilig Ko attitude with playful, tender, a little bit cheeky, but always rooted in love for our people.
Choosing To Build, Even When It’s Scary
So here I am at the beginning of 2026: scared, excited, and very aware that I might fail at some of the things I’m daring myself to do. But I’m also choosing to see that fear as a sign that I’m finally stepping out of autopilot.
Instead of waiting for the perfect timing or the perfect mentor, I’m choosing to build with what I have now, my community, my family’s stories, this little brand that somehow became bigger than just me.
When I look back at this year, I don’t need everything to be perfect. I just want to be able to say: you tried, you built, you honored where you came from.
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